1798–1800: Humphry Davy and Nitrous Oxide
- 1798: Thomas Beddoes establishes the Pneumatic Institution in Bristol, England, to explore the use of various gases in treating pulmonary tuberculosis. A young chemist, Humphry Davy (aged 20), is appointed to superintend the laboratory.
- 1798–1800: Davy engages in extensive self-experimentation with nitrous oxide, observing its capacity to diminish or abolish pain. He proposes its potential application in surgical procedures but does not pursue the idea further.
- 1800: Davy publishes a comprehensive 580-page book on nitrous oxide experiments. Within it, he includes the now-famous statement: “As nitrous oxide in its extensive operation appears capable of destroying physical pain, it may probably be used with advantage during surgical operations in which no great effusion of blood takes place.”Despite the significance of this suggestion, it goes largely unnoticed at the time.
References:
- Keys TE. The History of Surgical Anesthesia. New York: Schuman’s; 1945.
- Mitchill SL. Remarks on the Gaseous Oxyd of Azote or Nitrous Oxide. New York: T. & J. Swords; 1795.
- Davy H. Researches, Chemical and Philosophical: Chiefly Concerning Nitrous Oxide, or Dephlogisticated Nitrous Air, and Its Respiration. London: J. Johnson; 1800.
- Fujinaga M, Maze M. Neurobiology of nitrous oxide-induced antinociceptive effects. Mol Neurobiol. 2002;25(2):167–89.
- Ramsay DS, Watson CH, Leroux BG, Prall CW, Kaiyala KJ. Conditioned place aversion and self-administration of nitrous oxide in rats. Pharmacol Biochem Behav. 2003;74(2):263–74.
Early 1800s: The Emergence of Morphine
- 1800: The United States has only four medical schools. At the University of Pennsylvania, Benjamin Rushattempts to relieve labor pain through bloodletting, reflecting the limitations of contemporary practice.
- 1803: German pharmacist Friedrich Sertürner isolates morphine from opium. This represents a landmark in pain management, being the first purified alkaloid used for analgesia.
- 1809: Accounts describe extreme bloodletting, including the case of Captain James Niblett in the United States, who was bled of approximately 600 ounces of blood over a two-month period.
References:
- Stanley P. For Fear of Pain: British Surgery, 1790–1850. Amsterdam: Rodopi; 2003.
1810–1820: Surgical Agony and Psychological Trauma
- 1811: The novelist Fanny Burney undergoes a mastectomy without anesthesia. She later documents her experience, describing profound suffering and persistent psychological distress—an early account consistent with what is now recognized as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).
- 1818: Michael Faraday observes that ether vapor produces effects similar to nitrous oxide. He cautions, however, about possible dangers, including prolonged lethargy.
- 1819: Sir Walter Scott undergoes repeated bloodletting and blistering for severe stomach cramps, illustrating the acceptance of pain and invasive therapies as a routine part of medical care.
References:
